Lala Hula

December 17, 2004

Someone mentioned the flu-mist earlier, and my initial reaction was, oh, no, I can’t get that. It might give me the flu, and I don’t want that before the marathon!

1. I know the flu-mist doesn’t give you the flu, nor does the flu-shot, but it doesn’t help that I got the worst flu of my life last year, just after getting my shot. Unreasonable, sure. I know it had nothing to do with the shot — you’re just not protected for about 2 weeks after you get it. But there you go.

2. I ran the marathon. It’s over. That’s SUCH a good feeling.

You know what the best part is? Sunday mornings. I haven’t even had one yet, but I can’t wait for it. A Sunday morning lie-in? With coffee and sunshine and nowhere to go, and nothing to do? Bring it.

Thanks for your comments, wonderful, dearest readers. Funny thing is that you kinda made me realize something. Driving home yesterday morning, thinking about what y’all had said about things like determination and achievement, I was stunned to notice that maybe I’m not as lazy as I think I am. Don’t laugh. I mean it. In the image I hold of myself in my head, I’m a slacker. Never getting things done. Not mopping the floor. Forgetting to buy milk. Not finishing writing the novel. Never sending Christmas cards. Not getting the tires rotated.

But the marathon has really made me think I might be something of an achiever after all. This, in turn, has helped to re-light the ol’ pilot on the writing stove. I love it.

You know what else is a good thing? Walking in Honolulu, missing m’girl, and seeing this:

Oh, yeah.

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Awesome.
It will not surprise you to hear that I, too, have this image in my head of myself as a total slacker. I wonder whether this is some kind of gender-role thingy: that we don’t think we’re ever doing enough?

Congratulations on the marathon (hell two marathons!) I’ve never seen you as a slacker (they don’t knit and keep blogs the way I see it).
So I gotta know: Will you keep running for *pleasure* or fitness or are you done with it?

Congratulations on the marathon!
I kinda think it is an American thing to always feel like we should be doing more. Produce more, invent more, earn more, whatever. This country was founded on that sort of ethic, and these days, at least from my corporate-hating perspective, it really seems out of hand.
It is nice to sit back and have a moment when you realize that you in fact have been doing enough, or maybe even too much. Enjoy your Sunday morning for sure!!

What Heidi said — and do it all better and faster and never be satisfied. Blech.
I haven’t been by to say congrats or anything, but, you know, what they ALL said! Absolutely. Amazing.
That LaLa Hula window is the neatest thing. So cool.

Do I detect a self-esteem issue, here? (Believe me, this is the pot calling the kettle black…) Don’t beat yourself up for what you didn’t do–give yourself credit for what you did do! You ran a marathon. You’ve written an awful lot on that novel. You’re in a happy relationship. Etc. See?

Rachael:
You, a slacker???!!!! DOn’t make me laugh. You knit, you blog, you write, you buy a house, you run, and (this is a big one) you’ve brought together an entire community online. Girl – you just don’t know how special you are. All you readers out there agree with me, don’t cha?

Rachael, what a fabulous commentary on your experience. I lived in Hawaii at one time, and you took me right back there. Only this time, I ran it with you. I loved your part about getting to the finish line. Wow. You’re amazing!